PLASTIC FREE TOWN PROJECT: BOTTLES AND STRAWS (SPANISH VERSION)

A Plastic Free School Project

Información para la campaña en bares y restaurantes

Información básica

- Cuando se produce un objeto de plástico de un solo uso (botellas, pajitas, bolsas, envoltorios…) se consumen muchos recursos naturales (petróleo, agua…) y energía. Muchas veces, es un gasto enorme para algo que utilizamos solo unos minutos.

- En el mundo se usan 1.000.000 de botellas de plástico cada minuto.

- Solo el 9% del plástico producido a lo largo de la historia se ha reciclado. El resto ha ido a basureros o espacios naturales.

- En los basureros, al descomponerse, el plástico contamina el suelo que cultivamos y el agua con la que regamos o que llega hasta nosotros.

- Las botellas y pajitas son ligeras y, cuando se abandonan o quedan a la intemperie, el viento y el agua las arrastran con facilidad hasta ríos y mares.

- El plástico tarda cientos de años en descomponerse. Se va fragmentando en partículas cada vez más pequeñas que flotan en el mar y son asimiladas por el plancton y por los animales marinos. Así entran en la cadena alimentaria y llegan a nosotros. Otras veces los matan por envenenamiento o asfixia o afectan a su capacidad reproductiva.

- El reciclaje de plástico es difícil. Es difícil de clasificar y, según su calidad, a menudo solo se puede reciclar una vez

- El cristal y el aluminio son mejores opciones porque se pueden reciclar indefinidamente. Pero todavía mejor es fomentar que se usen envases reutilizables. Reducir el la utilización de envases de un solo uso.

- El plástico agota nuestros recursos naturales y ahoga nuestros océanos y cada vez que vendemos o compramos una botella creamos más demanda para usar más plástico.

PREGUNTAS - ENCUESTA

1. Si alguien pide una botella de agua, ¿le dan una de plástico o una de cristal?

2. Si dan botellas de plástico, ¿por qué? ¿cuáles son sus ventajas?

3. ¿Los refrescos (Kas, Coca Cola, Fanta, tónica…) los venden en latas, en botellas de cristal o en botellas de plástico?

4. ¿Cuántas botellas de plástico de agua venden a la semana, más o menos?

5. Cuántas botellas de plástico de refrescos venden a la semana?

6. ¿Si alguien entra y les pide un vaso de agua del grifo, se lo dan? ¿Les parece mal?

7. ¿Ponen pajitas con las bebidas siempre / nunca / cuando los clientes las piden?

8. ¿Cuántas pajitas usan a la semana, más o menos?

9. ¿Separan el plástico y lo llevan a un contenedor de reciclaje? ¿Nunca, siempre, a veces?

10. Si no reciclan, ¿por qué?

11. ¿Creen que las botellas de plástico y las pajitas son necesarias?

Certifico que recibín información sobre a utilización de plásticos dun só uso a través dos seguintes alumnos de 2º de ESO do IES A Sangriña:

Comprométome a (sinalar o que corresponda):

____ Non vender botellas de auga de plástico.

____ Non vender refrescos en botellas de plástico.

____ Non proporcionar palliñas para beber a menos que sexan realmente necesarias.

____ Utilizar palliñas de papel ou reutilizables (de bambú / madeira, metal…)

____ Dar aos meus clientes o a quen a solicite auga da billa nun vaso de cristal.

____ Separar e depositar no contedor axeitado os envases que se utilicen no meu establecemento.

Nome:

Establecemento (tipo e Nome):

Sinatura:

Bye-bye to free single-use plastic bags.

A new year has begun, and, with it, great news for all of us who think there is no room for single-use plastic bags in our lives anymore.

Although many Spanish people are starting to bring their own reusable bags with them when they go shopping, some studies say that in Spain we used around 133 carrier bags per person in 2017. Only 10% of the bags we use are recycled. And we know what happens to the rest of them: they end up in landfills, in incinerators, or in water streams. 

The light-weight bags they give us in most supermarkets are the most dangerous and polluting kind. They are everywhere, they break easily and they are difficult to recycle, so they end up polluting rivers and seas with serious consequences on the ecosystems, on marine animals and on mankind.

It is clear that we need to reduce and finally stop using these bags. That is why a European Directive was introduced in 2017. According to it, all member states will have to change their policies. They have two options: 

- Limit the amount of plastic bags to 90 per person per year in 2020 and 40 by 2016. 

- Ban free plastic bags and charge for them.

The Spanish government has chosen the second option, and it has banned free plastic bags in our country. This means that, as of January 2018, all shops in Spain will have to ask their customers to pay a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 30 cents per bag. Prices may vary and they will depend on the types of bags we require.  For example, light and easily breakable bags will cost 10 cents (5 if they are compostable), and more resistant varieties 15 cents or more. Compostable bags will be a bit cheaper than non-compostable ones of the same weight.

As an exception, very light bags will still be free if they are necessary for hygiene or food conservation reasons, for example, the ones we use for bulk products or at the fruit and vegetables, fish, meat or cheese counters. 

So plastic bags will still be around and available. Still a lot of plastic... But we must remember that there are options for us. We can always say no to plastic bags and bring our own bags and containers with us. 

Looking forward to the day when we can say bye-bye to plastic bags for good.

Ordinary Life: Video Activity

ORDINARY LIFE

This video shows the morning routine of an average family, habitual actions that we repeat day by day without thinking about them even if they terribly damage our planet.

Watch the video. Then make a list of the conducts and behaviours that we can consider environmentally unfriendly and explain why they can have a negative effect on our planet.

Proxecto escolar "A Guarda sen plástico"

O motivo do noso proxecto e o que nos gustaría facer

Cando empezamos o curso, vimos que no instituto estabamos a producir moitos refugallos de distintos tipos, e moi especialmente plásticos, e non era posible reciclar ningún deles. 

Dende hai unhas semanas e gracias en gran parte ao traballo dos alumnos e profesores do departamento de automoción e carrocería, temos no centro cubos de lixo de distintas cores e, gracias ao seu traballo e os alumnos de plástica, contamos cun cubo para materia compostable na cafetería. 

Os alumnos de plástica están tamén empezando a deixar caixas para reutilizar e reciclar papel nas aulas. 

A partir de agora podemos reciclar prácticamente todo o lixo que producimos no centro e gustaríanos moito contar coa colaboración de todos. Como? Pois primeiro respetando e coidando dese material para reciclaxe e os lugares no que vai que dar colocado, e despois, claro, utilizándoo adecuadamente e seguir a guía de reciclaxe para  non mezclar distintos tipos de restos e que o persoal de limpeza e os rapaces encargados da compostaxe poidan manter esa separación fácilmente.

Este vídeo é un resumo da análise que fixemos e como fomos intentando cambiar algunhas cousas.

É esencial que lembres que, antes de reciclar, o máis importante é consumir con responsabilidade, e reducir sempre que sexa posible a utilización de materiais dun só uso ou perxudiciais para o medio ambiente. 

Á hora de reciclar, esta guía pode axudarte cando teñas dúbidas sobre o colector no que debes deixar cada material (deixaremos unha copia no voso taboleiro):

                             GUÍA DE RECICLAXE

Podes atopar máis información sobre o noso proxecto na conta de Youtube correspondente ao vídeo de arriba, en Instagram: @plasticfreeschool, e en Twitter: @PlasticFreeSchoolAG. Anímate a seguirnos e a compartir as túas ideas e imaxes connosco.

Earth Hour 2017

Deforestation, pollution, contamination of water, global warming, animal extinction, soil degradation... Our beautiful planet is facing a dark future if we don't change our attitudes and start living in a different way: saving energy and resources, avoiding pollution, consuming less, reusing, recycling, protecting natural areas... Looking after our environment.

To make people aware of how important climate change is, WWF started a campaign called "Earth Hour" ten years ago. Like in previous years, on the last Saturday of March, at 8.30, those who want to participate and stand up for our planet, will turn off their lights and electrical appliances for 60 minutes. Millions of people all over the world have participated in the previous years. It is a way of calling everyone's attention and making them think and change their behaviour.

Take a look at the video if you want to see what Earth Hour was like in 2015:

So, would you like to join Earth Hour 2017? Remember to switch off your lights tomorrow evening!

Recycling Art

Some of our students have volunteered to find and develop recycling ideas turning different kinds of materials into useful objects. 

For us, they have become examples of how we can reuse, give objects a second life in order to reduce pollution, save natural resources and enjoy ourselves by using our imagination. You'll find some of the objects they are making here. And we´ll keep adding more... Hope you'll find them interesting.

Newspaper pencilcase
and purse, by Elsa.

Water bottle pencilcase, 

by Carlota

Carlota has also turned some old newspapers into an original laundry basket. :)

Students´ research and presentation projects - 2ESO: Environmental Issues

This is a summary of the 2nd term projects carried out by our 2ESO students during the second term. Click guidelines for information on the project guidelines.

Never underestimate the power of imagination and creativity. Here, one of our first year ESO students using those amazing tools to talk to her classmates about the three RRRs and the urgent need to reduce and recycle. An effective way to put these ideas through and grasp her classmates´ attention and interest. 
Well done, Elsa!

Waste Bin Analysis 2

And... It is done! A group of kids who volunteered for the job have analysed the contents of all the waste bins in the common areas and some samples taken from classrooms in different parts of the school. 

They separated recyclable stuff from non recyclable items, counted and weighed the different recyclable or compostable fractions they found, wrote down those figures and found the corresponding percentages with the help if their maths teacher.

Now we know how many and what kind of bins we need in each area of the school. It's time for the Art teacher's to help their students customize the existing waste bins and work on the information panels and notes that will accompany them.

Waste Bin Analysis 1

Before we start customizing and thinking about the best locations for our waste bins, we must analyse the different types if waste we produce and the amount of waste of the different fractions. So this is our next step and we are doing it next Monday. Some students have volunteered to classify the waste we find in the bins in the different areas, weigh it, and fill in a form to find the proportions in the maths lessons later.

Our material is ready... 

Our Survey is ready!

Our survey is finally ready and next week our 1 ESO students will visit different classes to talk about our project and ask the students in the group to complete the survey forms as accurately as possible. We have already shared them with our e-twinning partners and we are looking forward to analysing the results. Let's go!

If you want to take a look at our survey, you will find it HERE.

Classwork Aids: What do you recycle at home? The Unusual Suspects

     What do we usually recycle at home? 

And what do we fail to recycle?

 Watch the video and find out

Waste management at school 3

Last week some representatives of the 1st year ESO groups held a meeting with two representatives of the school board. 

First, they explained their conclusions after having observed and analysed waste management at school and also the attitudes and behaviour of their schoolmates. 

Second, they handed the head of studies a document with the ideas and proposals they have thought of in order to find some solutions and improve the situation. 

All our students left the room with the satisfaction of having been able to defend their points of view and of having been listened to; and also with the compromise that the school board is going to analyse all their suggestions and do everything in their hands to make all the feasable proposals become a reality in our school. 

We have already been allowed to customize part of the wastebins in the hall to turn them into recycling bins for paper, plastic, glass and organic waste, to make batteries and lids collectors more visible, and to instal posters and panels with information on the correct use of the different recycling bins and also about the urgent need to reduce the amount of garbage we produce. 

Satisfied, and looking forward to the next steps...

Amigos da Terra Galicia - Friends of the Earth Galicia en A Sangriña

Today 16 we have received a very special visit. Three representatives of Amigos da Terra Galicia came to our school for a lecture and workshop about cosumer education. 

They spoke about really interesting and relevant issues, such as:
- the need to preserve our natural resources.
- the importance of being critical, responsible consumers rejecting products that are harmful for our health or the environment or products that cause unfair social situations.
- the need to repair, reuse and swap to prolongue the useful life of objects... 

They finally helped us to design our "Plastic Free A Guarda" campaign. It was a really interesting exprerience and we have learnt a lot.

November and December 2016: Information input and awareness raising

During the months of November and December we have been talking about plastics in the Biology and English lessons. These are some of the topics we have talked about:

- How are plastics produced?
- What resources are necessary to produce plastic?
- Different types of plastic.
- How long does it take for plastic to decompose?
- What are the effects of the use of plastic on the environment?
- The Great Garbage Patch.
- The life of a plastic bottle.
- How to reduce the use of plastic. Alternatives.
- Many important Rs: Reject, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Rot,   Respect...
- How to use the yellow, blue and green recycling bins.
- What can we all do at school, at home, in shops...?

Some of the materials we have used can be found here: Blog de Víctor Gómez